Portland, OR. — A former co-owner of a private security company was sentenced March 4, 2026, to 27 months in prison for using excessive force during an assault on two men while working security in Portland.
Jesus Mendez III Ayala, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree.
Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Quinn Zemel prosecuted the case. Following sentencing, Zemel said the conviction sends a message about accountability for those entrusted with public safety.
“We expect security officers in our community to act with restraint and to have respect for others in enforcement of their duties,” Zemel said. “Here, the defendant abused his position of power and violated the trust the public gave to him. This sentence sends a signal that the law applies to everyone.”
The incident occurred on December 10, 2022, outside El Mojito PDX, located at 1222 SE Stark Street. According to prosecutors, a man wearing a light-colored cowboy hat attempted to reenter the bar when a security guard stopped him at the door.
An argument followed, and the man’s cousin approached to separate the two. Ayala then sprayed both men with pepper spray.
The cousin, wearing a ball cap, turned away and covered his eyes while leaning against the building. Ayala then fired a pepper ball gun at him. Surveillance footage captured the initial confrontation, showing the man stumbling away as his cowboy hat fell off.
Moments later, outside the camera’s view, Ayala allegedly continued firing pepper balls at the man multiple times. Prosecutors said Ayala then directed another security guard to strike the victim.
The second guard, Steven Alyn Bomgardner, used a collapsible baton and struck the man repeatedly, including blows to the head. The victim later told police he attempted to shield his head from the strikes, but the attack broke several of his fingers.
Bomgardner previously pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024, to Attempted Assault in the Second Degree in connection with the incident and was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office credited Portland Police Detective Carlos Ibarra for his work investigating the case and also thanked Victim Advocate Olivia Hames for supporting the victims.
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